With few female role models in executive positions of leadership, women in business – and those who coach them – face unique and different challenges presented by significant obstacles that are often invisible. As executive coach Margaret D’Onofrio points out, "Most organizations have established a set of leadership competencies that are key to success as a leader, and these competencies are possessed by both men and women. But the nature of barriers related to culture and work environments are different – and much more pervasive – for women."

In her work within organizations D’Onofrio notices that despite efforts to eliminate stereotyping and gender discrimination, the talent and true worth of women is often underestimated and underutilized. That is not only an impediment for women, but it represents an extraordinary loss to the companies who employ them and then fail to recognize their value, reward and encourage it, and reap the benefits of their wide-ranging contributions.

The Impact on the Bottom Line

Catalyst, a leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working to expand opportunities for women, confirms this fact. Research conducted by Catalyst reveals that companies with the highest representation of women on their top management teams experienced better financial performance than companies with the lowest ratio of women’s representation.

• Return on Equity (ROE) is 35 percent higher, and Total Return to Shareholders (TRS) is 34 percent higher.

• In each of the five industries analyzed by the study, the companies with the highest women’s representation on their top management teams experienced a higher ROE than the companies with the lowest percentage of women’s representation.

• In four out of five industries, the companies with the highest women’s representation on their top management teams experienced a higher TRS than the companies with the lowest percentage of women’s representation.

• The research also found that stronger than average results prevail at companies where at least three women serve on the Board of Directors.

While the goal and process of executive coaching for men and women is not different, D’Onofrio notes that because women are in the minority they often have different experiences. Women have made great strides and inroads, but the majority of decision-makers in positions of power are still men, so the male perspective dominates our modern corporate culture. Men are also provided with more opportunities to showcase their skills and highlight their capabilities.

Breaking through the Glass Ceiling in Holistic Fashion

"I work with women to explore, discover, and define strategies that will help to provide them with more opportunities to demonstrate their abilities," D’Onofrio says. "I also help them understand how to navigate the stereotypic beliefs that create barriers for them."

Some of the problems women report en route to leadership positions include difficulty in identifying the perceived obstacles to success, lack of confidence, a lack of visibility in the workplace, and a strong need – both actual and perceived – to outperform male counterparts. But until they are adequately and effectively addressed, these same issues will continue to surface. Even after women have attained positions of power and influence the insidiously treacherous obstacles may still actively undermine their personal success and job satisfaction.

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